Neymar will miss Santos’ trip to Internacional on Sunday after scans confirmed a muscle injury in his right thigh. The forward underwent tests at Santos’ CT Rei Pelé training centre on Friday after suffering pain in his right rectus femoris during Wednesday’s Copa do Brasil meeting with Palmeiras. He was replaced at half-time.
The examinations revealed a type 2B injury to the right rectus femoris, with an expected recovery period of between four and eight weeks, depending on how he responds to treatment. The injury is a setback for Neymar, who is unlikely to rush his return given the muscle’s importance to sprinting and striking the ball. If his recovery follows the longer end of the projected timeframe, he may not return until early November.
Neymar’s latest setback adds to a difficult spell since he returned to Santos in January last year. The 34-year-old has since dealt with a number of injuries, including problems with his left thigh, another issue involving the right rectus femoris, a left knee meniscus injury and a right calf problem. His repeated setbacks have made it difficult for him to build sustained momentum, with previous recoveries often taking as long as initially expected or even longer.
Santos will have further absences for Sunday’s league fixture. Centre-back Lucas Veríssimo has been ruled out with a sprained right ankle, while forward Álvaro Barreal is sidelined with a biceps femoris injury. Both players picked up their injuries against Palmeiras and have already started treatment. Santos face Internacional at Beira-Rio in the 26th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro, with kick-off scheduled for 4pm local time on Sunday.
